Hinge for a cover

ABSTRACT

A hinge is provided for a cover preferably used for a tank closure in the body of a motor vehicle. The invention is characterized in that the cover is rotatably mounted upon a crankshaft having a crank pin which is engaged by a sheet spring supported on a ground plate. The other crank pin of the shaft is fixed to the cover.

llnited States Patent [191 Metz Jan. 15, 1974 HINGE FOR A COVER [75]Inventor: Helmut Metz, Neuberg, Germany [73] Assignee: Audi NSU AutoUnion Aktiengesellscha't't, Ingolstadt, Germany [22] Filed: Nov. 8, 1971[21] Appl. No.: 196,693

[52] US. Cl 16/184, 16/73, 16/145, 16/163 [51] Int. Cl E05f l/12 [58]Field of Search 16/145, 163, 180, 16/184, 73, 72, DIG. 1O

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS MacCallum 16/145 Youngdalel6/l63 Cartwright et al 16/180 Primary Examiner-Bobby R. Gay AssistantExaminer-Kenneth J. Dorner Attorney-V. Alexander Scher et a1.

[57] ABSTRACT A hinge is provided for a cover preferably used for a tankclosure in the body of a motor vehicle. The invention is characterizedin that the cover is rotatably mounted upon a crankshaft having a crankpin which is engaged by a sheet spring supported on a ground plate. Theother crank pin of the shaft is fixed to the cover.

3 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures IHIINGE FOR A COVER This invention relatesto a hinge for a cover preferably used for a tank closure in the body ofa motor vehicle.

In a known construction of this type the sheet spring slides over thecover and can destroy the layer of varnish unless it is carefullylubricated. There are unpleasant noises when the cover is opened andclosed.

Furthermore, the known construction requires a substantial amount ofspace when the cover is placed into the body, so that it is necessary tosolder a special bowllike part for the covering, since the usuallyrequired height of the opening due to the great pulling depth wouldprovide a great deal of scrap during pressing.

An object of the present invention is to eliminate the drawbacks ofprior constructions and to provide a hinge which will remainautomatically in the open or closed position.

Other objects will become apparent in the course of the followingspecification.

In the accomplishment of the objectives of the present invention it wasfound desirable to mount the cover rotatably upon a crankshaft having acrank pin engaged by a spring supported on a ground plate, while theother crank pin of the shaft is fixed to the cover. The srping rotatesalong with the crank pin so that it can be easily lubricated at thatlocation. Thus it needs little service and does not produce anyunpleasant sounds when actuated. The crank serves at the same time as abearing pin for the cover and as one support for the spring. When thecover is closed the spring requires a space of small depth in thebowl-like opening. It is, therefore, possible to avoid the use of aspecial soldered bowl and to make the cover receiving portion out of onepiece, for example, out of the outer cover of the car body.

The spring may consist of a sheet spring one end of which ishook-shaped, while the other end is cut and engages a recess. The twoends of the spring constitute at the same time a spring support.

The crank pin can be held by a strap upon the cover plate. The strap ispressed out of the cover plate and bent. It secures the crankshaft in asimple manner against rotation relatively to the cover plate.

Finally, a bracket can be bent out of the bearing plate which serves asa stop for the cover plate.

The invention will appear more clearly from the following detaileddescription when taken in connection with the accompanying drawingshowing by way of example only, a preferred embodiment of the inventiveidea. In the drawing:

FIG. I is a perspective view of the cover and car body opening which isto be closed.

FIG. 2 is a section along the line IIII of Fig. 1.

FIG. 3 is a section similar to that of Fig. 2, FIG. showing the cover inthe closed position.

The body of a motor car has an outer cover 1 provided with a pressed inrecess 2 of small depth. The tank closure (not shown) can be reachedthrough the opening 3 in the recess 2. The recess 2 can be closed by acover 4. The cover 4 is strengthened by a cover plate 5 andjs swingablymounted through this plate by a crank 6 in the base plate 7. Thediameter of the upper end of the crank 6 is enlarged by pressing, sothat it can not slide through the supporting flaps 8. The crank 6 isfixed to the cover plate 5 by a strap 9 which encloses the crank pin 10.A spring 12 engages the other crank pin 11 and is supported in a recess13 of a bent portion 14 of the base plate 7. For that purpose the sheetspring 12 has a hook-shaped end 15 while the other end is cut, so thatthe end 16 is not as wide as the spring 12 itself. A bracket 17 isshaped out of the plate 7 and is used as a stop for the cover 4 in itsopen position. Both FIGS. 1 and 2 show the open position of the cover 4.When the cover 5 is swung about the crank 6, or, more correctly, when itis swung about an imaginary axis by the part 6 of the crank shown inFIG. 2, then the crank pin 1 1 moves along a circular path,strengthening the curvature of the spring 12, and when it moves over animaginary line 18 (FIG. 2), the curvature of the spring 12 is againdiminished and the crank pin 11 is pressed by the cover 5 into theclosing position.

(FIG. 3). A rubber buffer 19 extending into the recess 2 supports thecover 4 in the closed position, so that it extends in the same plane asthe outer cover 1 of the car body.

In the position of the cover shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the spring 12presses the cover 5 into the open position and against the bracket 17.

I claim:

1. In a motor car body comprising an outer cover having a recess with atank opening, a closing cover for closing said opening, and a hingeconstruction having a base plate fixed to said cover recess adjacentsaid opening and having a bent end portion with a recess, a crank shafthaving a central portion and an end portion, a portion of said endportion pivoting said base plate to said closing cover, said end portionincluding a crank portion laterally spaced from the axis of said pivotportion, means carried by said cover and engaging said central portionand a curved sheet spring having an end engaging said plate recess andanother end engaging said crank portion.

2. A hinge construction in accordance with claim 1, wherein the end ofthe sheet spring engaging said plate recess is narrowed than the rest ofthe spring.

3. A hinge construction in accordance with claim 1, wherein said meansconsist of a strap carried by said cover and having a curved portionenclosing the central portion of the crank shaft.

1. In a motor car body comprising an outer cover having a recess with atank opening, a closing cover for closing said opening, and a hingeconstruction having a base plate fixed to said cover recess adjacentsaid opening and having a bent end portion with a recess, a crank shafthaving a central portion and an end portion, a portion of said endportion pivoting said base plate to said closing cover, said end portionincluding a crank portion laterally spaced from the axis of said pivotportion, means carried by said cover and engaging said central portionand a curved sheet spring having an end engaging said plate recess andanother end engaging said crank portion.
 2. A hinge construction inaccordance with claim 1, wherein the end of the sheet spring engagingsaid plate recess is narrower than the rest of the spring.
 3. A hingeconstruction in accordance with claim 1, wherein said means consist of astrap carried by said cover and having a curved portion enclosing thecentral portion of the crank shaft.